Page - 1334 - in The Complete Plato
Image of the Page - 1334 -
Text of the Page - 1334 -
speak in another way, which I hold to be the right one; for if number is to be
the criterion, are there not myriads upon myriads of nations ready to dispute
the point with you, who are only two cities?
Megillus. I shall gladly welcome any method of enquiry which is right.
Athenian. Let me put the matter thus:—Suppose a person to praise the
keeping of goats, and the creatures themselves as capital things to have, and
then some one who had seen goats feeding without a goatherd in cultivated
spots, and doing mischief, were to censure a goat or any other animal who has
no keeper, or a bad keeper, would there be any sense or justice in such
censure?
Megillus. Certainly not.
Athenian. Does a captain require only to have nautical knowledge in order
to be a good captain, whether he is sea–sick or not? What do you say?
Megillus. I say that he is not a good captain if, although he have nautical
skill, he is liable to sea–sickness.
Athenian. And what would you say of the commander of an army? Will he
be able to command merely because he has military skill if he be a coward,
who, when danger comes, is sick and drunk with fear?
Megillus. Impossible.
Athenian. And what if besides being a coward he has no skill?
Megillus. He is a miserable fellow, not fit to be a commander of men, but
only of old women.
Athenian. And what would you say of some one who blames or praises any
sort of meeting which is intended by nature to have a ruler, and is well enough
when under his presidency? The critic, however, has never seen the society
meeting together at an orderly feast under the control of a president, but
always without a ruler or with a bad one:—when observers of this class praise
or blame such meetings, are we to suppose that what they say is of any value?
Megillus. Certainly not, if they have never seen or been present at such a
meeting when rightly ordered.
Athenian. Reflect; may not banqueters and banquets be said to constitute a
kind of meeting?
Megillus. Of course.
Athenian. And did any one ever see this sort of convivial meeting rightly
ordered? Of course you two will answer that you have never seen them at all,
because they are not customary or lawful in your country; but I have come
1334
back to the
book The Complete Plato"
The Complete Plato
- Title
- The Complete Plato
- Author
- Plato
- Date
- ~347 B.C.
- Language
- English
- License
- PD
- Size
- 21.0 x 29.7 cm
- Pages
- 1612
- Keywords
- Philosophy, Antique, Philosophie, Antike, Dialogues, Metaphysik, Metaphysics, Ideologie, Ideology, Englisch
- Categories
- Geisteswissenschaften
- International